Lounging dogs and sleeping cats….
The grandmother starts
With the brown cow,
Milk a warm stream,
And back to the dough-filled kitchen.
Lounging dogs and sleeping cats,
setting the yellow-white milk aside,
Pushing the white-cloth-covered dough down,
As the tea kettle burbles ….
Lounging dogs and sleeping cats….
The milk will churn into clean butter.
The dough will curl into twisted bread.
Amidst cries and ,moans, English and Yiddish,
The house awakens ….
Lounging dogs and sleeping cats,
Footsteps on wood,
Groans as boots yank on….
Jackets close and snap ….
Lounging dogs and sleeping cats,
Cursing, flailing for the
Son, lost in the ocean-far war,
Husband, stoked with sleep, yet abed,
More cries ….
A daughter-in-law sheltered,
A son-in-law moves, quickly ….
Lounging dogs and sleeping cats,
With snow deep,
The steps to cow and back, soon recover,
And more snow, the white ….
Lounging dogs and sleeping cats ….
